Thanks to Danaan's impressive top speed of 50 knots, it took less than three days to return to the newly claimed territory of Rhodes Island.
The only issue was that the port hadn't been completed yet, so the Danaan couldn't dock.
But that didn't matter much.
Luo Lan quickly issued an order: the naval trainees who had been studying aboard the ship would remain there for continued training.
It was a perfect opportunity for them to gain hands-on experience in the surrounding waters.
The training period would last half a month—just enough time for the port's construction to be completed.
Perfect timing.
Best of all, Nami had also been ordered by Luo Lan to remain aboard the ship.
In half a month...
Tsk tsk...
All her treasures would be handled and processed.
By then, no matter how much she threw a fit, it would already be too late!
---
After finishing a few documents, Luo Lan made his way to the training center.
Inside one of the individual rooms, Ace was pushing himself through a brutal training session.
Luo Lan glanced at the usage log for the room.
Good grief. He'd only been away for less than six days, yet this guy had spent nearly every waking moment in this room, only stopping for food and sleep?
Truly hardworking.
Shaking his head with a faint smile, Luo Lan didn't bother to interrupt Ace's training. Instead, he entered his own training room.
Although he hadn't been able to use the gravity-enhanced training center while away, that didn't mean he had slacked off.
The only difference was the lack of gravity assistance.
He hadn't taken a detailed measurement yet, but Luo Lan estimated that his power level—or "Doriki"—had likely reached 500.
From just 5 Doriki to nearly 500 in a little over a month?
Anyone hearing that would be utterly dumbfounded.
The rapid improvement was largely due to Luo Lan unlocking the first level of the Gene Lock. After that breakthrough, his physical limits vanished—and his training efficiency skyrocketed.
To put it simply:
If he and Ace trained for the same amount of time, at the same intensity, Luo Lan's gains would be two to three times greater.
In fact, even without a gravity chamber, Luo Lan's progress rivaled what others achieved with one.
A cheat-like ability, in every sense.
---
Since the incident at the 16th Branch, more than half a month had passed.
Thanks to Morgans fanning the flames, the situation continued to spiral.
Everyone was watching to see how Navy HQ would respond.
Even the Revolutionary Army had its eyes on the unfolding drama, waiting for the perfect opportunity to stir the waters and profit from the chaos.
But both the Navy and the World Government reacted swiftly.
They immediately dispatched a Vice Admiral directly from HQ to the East Blue, granting him full authority to investigate.
At the same time, the Navy issued a public statement, offering large bounties and vowing to punish everyone involved—no matter who they were.
Justice…
Must not be tainted!
In the world of pirates, outside of unfortunate villages like Cocoyashi, the majority of people actually trusted the Navy.
So, with repeated statements and swift actions, the public impact of the incident began to subside.
That is... until the third day after Loran returned to the 157th Branch.
It was also the day that Vice Admiral Val crossed the Calm Belt and entered the East Blue.
And then, once again—the world exploded.
---
"The Navy's Bizarre Move: Letting the Culprit Investigate Himself?"
"Rumors Swirl: World Government Protecting Val Despite Sengoku's Protests?"
"What's Going On? The Unspeakable Secrets Between Val and the Five Elders?"
"Val's Wealth Skyrocketed by 300 Million Berries in Five Years as a Vice Admiral!"
"Trusted Sources Say Mouse Handed Over 1.8 Billion Berries in Total!"
"Where Did the Missing 1.5 Billion Berries Go?"
The World Economic News had done it again.
Just like before, the front page featured a shocking headline—followed by a full special section containing more than 20 articles.
While each article seemed independent, reading them all told a single, damning story.
And in the final few pieces, the newspaper even published photographs of Mouse's private ledger.
In the world of pirates, there was no such thing as Photoshop.
Photos meant hard evidence.
So now, the people were all asking the same question:
If Val wasn't the mastermind…
Then who was?
And where did that missing 1.5 billion Berries end up?
But perhaps the most explosive part was a last-minute article added to the issue:
It revealed that Smoker had discovered Val was behind Mouse's actions.
Yet the moment he reported this to HQ, he was immediately stripped of all his duties.
That alone raised a terrifying question:
Was the rot within the Navy limited to just the 16th Branch?
Or had it infected the entire institution from top to bottom?
It wasn't just the public outraged now—even within the Navy, things were heating up.
Especially among...
The rank-and-file sailors.
These hundreds of thousands of regular Navy soldiers were the backbone of order across the seas.
As it's often said—
The real threat to civilians wasn't the infamous Yonko, but the countless bottom-tier pirate crews running amok across the oceans.
And these base-level marines were the ones fighting those pirates day in and day out.
Now, the entire foundation of the Navy was in an uproar.
They demanded explanations.
They demanded punishment for all involved.
And if they didn't get it...
Many threatened to resign en masse.
If this had been a matter of a few individuals or even just one branch, the Five Elders would've issued executions without hesitation.
But now?
It was practically the entire Navy's base—hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
Even the Five Elders couldn't kill them all.
Some of them had already begun to regret—
Why did we ever protect that idiot Val?
If only we had dealt with him immediately, none of this would've spiraled out of control!
---
"Such filthy hands!"
"A fool who ruins more than he builds!"
In the chamber of power, the curly-haired Elder's face darkened.
This situation had truly gotten out of hand.
If they didn't act fast, not only would the Navy suffer, but the World Government's reputation could take a fatal hit.
They needed to cut the rot—fast and clean.
The most effective and direct solution...
Was to publicly execute Val and anyone involved, offering them up as scapegoats.
Then seize all their assets.
Use a portion of the Navy's budget to compensate the affected villages.
Such action would quickly calm the unrest—and maybe even restore some lost trust in the government.
Of course, the Five Elders weren't about to let this blow slide.
Just minutes earlier, the blond Elder had already issued orders to CP.
Mobilize every available force.
Track down the shadowy power manipulating events behind the scenes...
And eliminate it.
---
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